THE LICENSING QUESTION

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 2519, 30 August 1893, Page 2

THE LICENSING QUESTION

A well attended public meeting, presided over by Mr Boddie, wm held at, I Normanby on Tuesday eveoinft, tb* largest yet held there on the temptrane* question, when Her. E. Walker discussed . ' tbe Government Liquor Bill. Several of \ its provisions were explained. The power' whiob the Licensing Aot gave to commit' tees to refuse licenses on the ground that they were not required in tbe neighborhood was cancelled in the bill. One licensing committee of oino persons wm to be elected for e«eh Parliamentary electorate, existing district* being abo< I lifibed ; the eleotion to be by tbe eleetori on the Parliamentary electoral roll, end to be held within tbe first ten days of Maroh next, and thereafter every threh years. At this eleotion, electors wen to . vote respecting publicans', accommodation house, and bottle licenses reepeotively—(l) That tbe number of licenses continue as at present ; (2) that the number be reduced; (3) that none be granted. If the rote was tor a redaction tb* committee might reduce by not more than one-fourtb > of tbe number, bat were not obliged to reduce to that extent. Therefore if ooe license only were refused in tbe whole of the Waitotara or Egmont electorate tbiswould be a redaction within tbe meaning of tbe bill. Bat neither a reduottoo nor tbe proposal that no licenses be granted; wonld be carried bolms at least one belf of the electors oo tbe roll went' to tbe poll, and in the oaia of the vote for "oo licenses " there would need to be a three* fifths majority. These provisions made the Government proposals absolutely worthless to tbe people. One- half tbe electors could never be got to tbe poll except under tbe conditions of a parliamentary eleotion when the candidates had oommittees at work all over tbe district, and great political excitement prevailed. Bat tbo Govern^ meat refused to take the vote at the general election times, when a gennioe exteußvou of public opinion could to obtained. The bill, therefore, played entirely into tbe bands of tbe Jiquor perty, who bad only to stay at home on polling day to defeat a majority for a reduction or no licenaes, by their own absence helping to prevent there being balf the electors going to tbe poll. It was thus in every way control by liquor minorities. All other kinds of licenses than tnote referred io weze excluded Crom the popular vole. If the electorate fails to elect the whole committee then any few elected by tbe people were not to be appointed, but tbe Governor wonld appoint the whole committee. In every way it was a liquor traffioers' bill, and not a people's bill. At the dose of tbe address question! were asked and answered, nod the following resolution was- earned nnanimooaly :— " This meeting regards tbe tramo in liquor as a prolific source of demoralisation, pauperism, and orime; claims tbtt the people have jost right to complete and direct control of it; considers that tbe Government bill offers this control in a form bo desired as to be absolutely abortive, and thus designedly sacrifices the right of the people to tbe interests of the liquor trade ; end appeals to Parlia* ment to rejeot tbe bill and leave the whole • question to the determination of the- - people at the next general eleotfoo." Votes of thanks eonoluded the meeting.